LEGISLATIVE QUIZ ON WEDNESDAY Monday, March 18th: Agenda Warm up Get out your homework from last night. Answer the following questions on your warm up sheet T/F: The General Assembly meets for 45 day a year. The session begins on the FIRST Monday in January. Both serve a TWO year term You only have to be 21 to be a senator Voting districts are based on population Both the House and the Senate have the same number of committees. Review Project intro (due 2/26) LEGISLATIVE QUIZ ON WEDNESDAY

Georgia’s Legislative Branch Chapter 3: Section 1 and 2 Pgs 72 – 85

House of Representatives   SENATE House of Representatives Number of Members  56 180  Election November, even numbered years Term  2 2 Qualifications Age 25 years 21 years US Citizenship YES GA Citizenship  2 years Resident of district  1 year Presiding Officer for Each Chamber Lieutenant Governor  Speaker of the House is elected

Responsibilities of Presiding Officers Control debate by calling on members to speak Decide order of business Assign bills to committees Rule out amendments that do not apply Order a roll call vote on any issues

3. Why are districts different sizes? 1. What is a constituent? A person living in the a legislator’s district 2. How does the state ensure that people living in all parts of the state have an equal voice in the lawmaking process? Each seat of the Senate and House represents the same number of constituents. 3. Why are districts different sizes? They represent the amount of people living there, not the land characteristics

4. How does apportionment work? It divides Georgia’s population by the number of seats of each chamber House: population divided by 180 Senate: population divided by 56 5. What is used to determine a states population? How often is it conducted? Census Every 10 years 6. Why is it necessary to redistrict every 10 years? Give an example. To account for population change Manufacturing plant opening or closing my contribute to population change. 7. Describe how Georgia is a citizen assembly? It is a part-time legislature with its members holding other jobs and returning to their home communities after the session ends. Next census will be 2020

8. When is the General Assembly in session? Forty days beginning on the second Monday of January and ending sometime around the end of March. 9. Explain when the assembly adjourns. The Georgia constitution allows the legislature to adjourn to study and reconvene at a later date in order to study and review in preparation for voting.

Committee System 10. What is the purpose of the committee system? Committee members become knowledgeable on their subject matter and evaluate and recommend bills with the larger group of lawmakers. 11. Why is it necessary for the General Assembly to use the committee system? With up to 1200 bills introduced in the House and Senate, it divides the work load and saves times. 12. Define each type of committee Standing committees- permanent committees or those that continue for every legislative session. House has 36 and Senate has 26. Ad hoc- committees created for a special purpose Joint- a committee made up of members of the Senate and House Conference- Created when the House and Senate create different versions of a bill. The members of each house must compromise and make one bill for it to become a law. 13. How many committees does each chamber have? Senate - 26 House - 36 14. How many committees are the General Assembly members required to serve on? Each member of the General Assembly is responsible for serving on at least two or three committees.

House of Representative Committees- 36

Senate Committees - 26

The Law Making Process 15. What three things can the General Assembly do? Amend state laws Do away with laws Pass legislation on state issues and organization of local governments 16. What responsibility does the House have over the Senate? Bills related to spending or raising money must be introduced to the House of Representative before going to the Senate 17. What does the constitution say about the subject of a bill? It must be single- purpose dealing with ONLY ONE subject 18. How do resolutions differ from laws? What is the purpose of a resolution? They are not binding and express an opinion. Usually passed to honor something or someone.

19. What are two things the General Assembly cannot do? Enter into treaties Can not support a monopoly How are House and Senate bills numbered differently? House bills begin with HB Senate bills begin with SB 20. What SIX actions can a committee take on a bill? Favorable Unfavorable Pass in the original form (favorable) Pass with amendments/changes Pass a substitute bill written by the committee Vote the bill out of the committee w/ no recommendations Recommend to NOT pass the bill (bill is dead) Can hold the bill and take no action (killed unless the WHOLE chamber votes otherwise)

How a Bill Becomes a Law

Proposal is submitted to the Clerk’s Office Written in legal language Given a name/number For example: “H.R. 12.” “S.B. 12.”

Copies Given to the Legislators (first reading) House or Senate

Bill is assigned to Committee This is done by the presiding officer. The topic of the bill is taken into account (meaning that it is an appropriations bill, it is assigned to the appropriations committee.)

Committee Considers Bill Study the Bill Public meetings may be held at this point to gauge public interest/concern Lobbyist, experts, or interested citizens may speak in favor or opposition of the bill

Bill is voted out of Committee & sent to Chamber

Legislators Debate the Bill This is overseen by the presiding officer. Changes can be made Vote is held on passage If passed, keep moving If not passed, goes back to Committee for corrections

Certified Bill is sent to other Chamber for consideration

Bill is assigned to committee

Bill is voted out of Committee & sent to Chamber

Legislators debate bill, may make changes & vote on passage

If passed in same form, bill is sent to Governor. If bill is not passed in same form, the previous Chamber must vote again. If an agreement cannot be made, a special committee will be called.

Governor’s Office 1. Sign bill into law 2. Veto bill 3. Let it become law without signature

What next?? If vetoed, the legislature may, by two-thirds vote of each house, override the veto and the bill becomes law. The bill returns to the house of origin and may be re-introduced in the next session

Last day of Session: Sine Die (Latin Students- what does this mean?) This year’s final session will take place on Tuesday, March 27th

What if…. What recommendations can a committee make for a bill? What do committees do to study a bill? If the second chamber amends the bill, where does it go? What if the standing committee cannot agree on a bill? What if the governor vetoes a bill?